MINUTES<= o:p>
WATERTOWN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
PUBLIC H=
EARING
WEDNESDA=
Y,
SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 - 7:30 P.M.
WATERTOW=
N HIGH
SCHOOL LIBRARY
APPLICAT=
ION
#784 – FRED VALENTI
PRESENT: =
; &n=
bsp; =
; Roger
Mitchell, Secretary Pro Tem
=
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; Phil
Roger, Vice Chairman
=
; &n=
bsp; =
; &n=
bsp; =
; Enrico Sarandrea, Chai=
rman
ABSENT: =
; &n=
bsp; =
; =
Mary
Bisson, Secretary
&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Nicholas Reynolds<= o:p>
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Scott
Stewart
ALTERNATES ABSENT: &=
nbsp; John Griffith
OTHERS PRESENT: &n=
bsp; =
; Moosa Rafey, Assistant
Zoning Enforcement Officer
1. =
Call
Meeting To Order
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, called the Public Hearing to order at 7:35 p.m.
2. &nb=
sp; Roll
Call
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, asked Mr. Mitchell to be the Secretary Pro Tem.
Mr.
Mitchell, Secretary Pro Tem, executed the Roll Call.
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, asked Mr. Stewart to sit in for Ms. Bisson, in her
absence.
WATERTOWN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#784, FRED VALENTI
SEPTEMBE=
R 22,
2004
Page 2
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, read aloud the Ground Rules for the record:
“Rules For Condu=
ct of
Public Hearing
The applicant, or his
representative will make his formal presentation to the Board stating his
specific hardship and precisely why this merits a variance from the Zoning
Regulations of the Town of Watertown.
All comments, discussions, and observations shall be made through the
Chair after proper recognition by the Chairman. This is necessary to ensure that o=
nly
one person at a time speaks on any issue, thus making it easier for everyon=
e to
understand for clear, legal transcription.
All persons addressing=
the
Board shall begin by first clearly stating their name and address for the
record. If necessary, the per=
son
may be asked to spell his name for the record. Following the presentation of the
application the Zoning Board of Appeals will ask specific questions of the =
applicant. After the Board has asked its ques=
tions
of the applicant, the Chairman shall then allow any members of the public w=
ho
wish to speak either for or against this application, to address the Board.=
The Chairman shall then allow the
applicant to respond to the comments of the members of the general public.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The Chairman shall then allow memb=
ers of
the general public who wish to discuss any additional information or clarif=
ying
discussions, to do so. The Ch=
airman
shall then provide an opportunity for the applicant to respond to these
additional remarks if he or his representative(s) so wish.
The
Zoning Board of Appeals has 35 days from the date the Public Hearing commen=
ces
to complete the Public Hearing. The
Board may ask the applicant for a 35 day extension of the Public Hearing pe=
riod
if the Board requires any additional information or wishes to schedule a si=
te
walk to observe the situation for themselves. The Zoning Board of Appeals has 65=
days
from the date the Public Hearing is closed to render its decision. The Board may or may not make its
decision tonight at its Regular Meeting following the Public Hearing. You may stay for the Regular Meeti=
ng if
you wish or you may leave at the end of the Public Hearing and contact the
Zoning Officer the following morning to determine the status of your
application.”
WATERTOWN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#784, FRED VALENTI
SEPTEMBE=
R 22,
2004
Page 3
3. Hearing of Cases=
&=
nbsp; A. Application
#784 of Fred Valenti for a variance of 8.5 square feet additional wall sign=
at
600 Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT in a B-SC Shopping Center Business Zoni=
ng
District.
&=
nbsp; Recess
or Adjourn Public Hearing must be Closed by November 6, 2004 unless applica=
nt
grants a time extension.
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Mitchell, Secretary Pro Tem, read aloud the Legal Notice for the record:
&=
nbsp; The
Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Watertown will hold a Public Hearing=
at
7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 at the Watertown High School
Library, 324 French Street, Watertown, CT to hear and act upon the following
application:
&=
nbsp; Application
#784 of Fred Valenti d/b/a Valenti Motors, 600 Straits Turnpike, Watertown,=
CT
request for 1) a variance of Section 62.7.6.c(1) of Watertown Zoning
Regulations concerning wall signs to permit the construction of an addition=
al
8.5 square feet new wall sign and 2) a variance of Section 62.7.6.c(3) of t=
he
Watertown Zoning Regulations to permit 9 wall signs on one building where o=
nly
5 wall signs are permitted at 60 Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT in a B-SC
Shopping Center Business Zoning District.
&=
nbsp; At
this Hearing interested persons and written communications will be heard.
&=
nbsp; Dated
at Watertown, CT this 9th day of September 2004.
&=
nbsp; Dated
at Watertown, CT this 16th day of September, 2004
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; Mary
Bisson, Secretary
&=
nbsp; Zoning
Board of Appeals”
WATERTOWN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#784, FRED VALENTI
SEPTEMBE=
R 22,
2004
Page 4
&=
nbsp; Fred
Valenti, Applicant
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Valenti: I’m here to
request an additional wall sign for Lotus.=
We’ve been a Lotus Dealer since 1988; we’re one of the
oldest dealers in the country.
There are less than 40 dealers and they haven’t had a sign in =
25
years. For quite some time we=
only
sold a handful of these cars a year, and then for the last 6 or 8 years we
would sell 1 or 2 a year, but now we have a new car that’s a lot lower
priced and now instead of selling 1 a year, we’re selling 4 or 5 a mo=
nth,
so now Lotus has requested that we put some identification on our building =
so
that when we have somebody trying to find us they do have some identificati=
on
on the building. Actually whe=
n I
came in a couple of years ago for all of the sign changes, I called them an=
d we
knew that this car would most likely be coming and asked if they had any si=
gn
information yet and at that time they couldn’t give me any specs or p=
lans
so they just provided them to me. I
don’t know if you have a copy of . . . . . yea. It’s basically the badge fro=
m the
front of the car, it’s a little more than 3 feet in diameter, it̵=
7;s
1 meter, 39 inches, it’s about this big, the diameter of the circle, =
so
it’s not a big sign.
It’s the only sign they’re making and we’d like to=
get
some identification on the building.
I think there’s also a picture where we want the placement, to=
the
left of the top of the stop sign, and I believe that this circle is similar=
in
size to that circle that’s within the square of the stop sign, so
it’s a similar sized sign.
=
; Mr.
Sarandrea: How many feet would yo=
u say
is in between the stop sign and that (inaudible)?
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Valenti: That’s a
decorative sign. You’re
saying from the right edge of the frame of the stop sign?
=
; Mr.
Sarandrea: Right.
=
; Mr.
Valenti: That’s about 30 =
feet.
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Sarandrea: And you were g=
oing
to place that right in the middle or right where (inaudible)?
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Valenti: I’m not
sure. We’ll probably ge=
t up
there and have somebody stand across the street and move it around and see,=
but
we might want to center it under a window, it depends on when we get it, wh=
at
it looks like. Of course if y=
ou put
it too close to the frame, the (inaudible) don’t see it until you pas=
s my
driveway.
WATERTOWN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#784, FRED VALENTI
SEPTEMBE=
R 22,
2004
Page 5
=
; Mr.
Sarandrea: Probably right over that pillar.
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Valenti: Between the two
windows. Yea, that looks like=
a
good spot. I think the only p=
roblem
is if you put it too far to the left, they can’t see it until they go
past my driveway, then they have to go down to the intersection and turn
around.
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Sarandrea: So this was ju=
st
going to say Lotus. There was=
n’t
going to be any . . . .I mean just what this . . . .
=
; Mr.
Valenti: Yea, it looks like the badge on the
front of the car, one meter circle.
It’s Colin Chapman’s initials that are above the Lotus, =
he
is the founder of the company.
=
; Mr.
Sarandrea: Does anyone else have any
questions? Is there anyone fr=
om the
public who wishes to speak In Favor or Against this Application?
=
; MOTION: (Mr. =
Roger,
sec. Mr. Mitchell) to Close the Public Hearing for Application #784 of Fred
Valenti for a variance of 8.5 square feet additional wall sign at 600 Strai=
ts
Turnpike, Watertown, CT in a B-SC Shopping Center Business Zoning District.=
&= nbsp; Discussion: None<= o:p>
&=
nbsp; MOTION
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
Public
Hearing Closed at about 7:45 p.m. (no time given).
Respect=
fully
submitted,
Enrico
Sarandrea, Chairman
Zoning =
Board
of Appeals
&nbs=
p; _________________=
_________________
&nbs=
p; Lynn
M. LaForme, Minutes Secretary